Police in Swaziland fired
rubber bullets as about 2,000 workers and supporters took to the streets of the
capital Mbabane to protest against worsening living conditions on Friday (13
April 2018).
It came only days before dignities
are expected to converge on the kingdom to celebrate
King Mswati III’s 50th birthday and the 50th
anniversary of Swaziland’s independence on 19 April 2018.
‘Police tussled with
protesters, some of whom burnt tyres and blocked roads, as they made their way
to the prime minister's office to deliver a petition.,’ AFP reported.
‘Some marchers attempted to
tear down the gates at the PM's office and force their way inside but were
blocked by police,’ it added.
The demonstration to
deliver 16 demands to government was organised by the Trade Union Congress of
Swaziland (TUCOSWA).
King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch. Elections are due to take place this year but
political parties are banned from taking part. The King chooses the Prime
Minister and other cabinet ministers.
It was reported widely on
social media that the King took delivery of a second private jet aircraft on
the morning of the demonstration. King Mswati lives a lavish lifestyle with 13
palaces and fleets of top-of-the range BMW and Mercedes cars. Seven in ten of
his 1.1 million subjects live in abject poverty with incomes less than the
equivalent of US$2 per day.
Meanwhile, King Mswati’s
government has said it has no money for wage increases or annual cost-of-living
adjustments.
The unions have already
announced they plan three months of protest against government
over a range of issues including tax increases, the minimum wage, social welfare programmes
and unfavourable labour laws.
TUCOSWA Deputy Secretary
General Muzi Mhlanga was reported by the Sunday Observer newspaper in Swaziland (25 March 2018) saying the
demonstration was just the beginning and more protests were to be staged if
their demands were not met.
‘We are beginning on the
13th of April. We have been writing to the different ministries concerned and
they have not responded while others have provided unsatisfactory responses.
For instance, we wrote a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources alerting
them that we were against the hike on electricity tariffs and we are not happy
with their response, just like several other ministries,’ he said.
Mhlanga said more protests
would be staged in three consecutive months; June, July and August.
See also
SWAZI POLICE BLOCK WORKERS’ PROTEST
PUBLIC SERVANTS PAY STRIKE ON WAY
https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/public-servants-pay-strike-on-way.html
SWAZI GOVERNMENT ‘IS BROKE’
SWAZI GOVERNMENT ‘IS BROKE’
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